Depolarization of synchrotron radiation of a relativistic electron beam

We present a theoretical study on the radiative self-polarization of a high-energy electron beam propagating perpendicular to a strong magnetic field. This effect has recently attracted attention as a promising mechanism for generating strongly polarized electron and photon beams. We focus on the dependence of electron and radiation polarization on the dimensionless parameter [Formula: see text], which is proportional to the product of electron energy and magnetic field strength. The numerical solution of the balance equation shows that the resulting electron beam polarization increases rapidly as a function of [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] and saturates at a value of approximately [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text], the rate of self-polarization decreases significantly. At the same time, a substantial or nearly complete depolarization of synchrotron radiation is observed, particularly for an electron beam with spins initially aligned parallel to the field.